Top 3 Food Events include wine March Madness, local produce, pop-up bakery

February 19, 2013|By Diane W. Stoneback, Of The Morning Call

MARCH MADNESS

1 Don't miss out on one of the most anticipated Lehigh Valley Wine Trail events of the year: Only a few tickets remain for March Madness, a four-weekend extravaganza (March 2-3,9-10,16-17,23-24) that provides amazing tastes of local wines and foods at the trail's eight wineries. Cost is $35 to participate in four weekends of pairings and also includes a gift for participants. Veterans suggest visiting about two or three wineries per weekend and make provisions for a designated driver. For a listing of the foods and wines offered each weekend at the member wineries, check http://www.lehighvalleywinetrail.com To order tickets online, see http://lvwtmarchpassportprogram2013.eventbrite.com/

THINK SPRING, SUMMER

2 If winter's grayest days gets you down, start imagining all of the locally grown produce you'll get by signing up for a share in a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm. Most of the farmers ask for an upfront payment that gets you weekly deliveries of the farm's harvest throughout the growng season but there's also a new option enabling members to pay weekly when they pick up their produce. Check out options at http://www.buylocalpa.org/LehighValley and sign up for the Buy Fresh Buy Local newsletter which outlines programs at participating farms in the Valley.

A POP-UP MUSHROOMS

3 Well-known bagel-maker Pam Parker will be joined by another baker and a "schmear" master for a second pop-up event 11 a.m.-1 p.m. today Feb. 20 at the Emmaus Auto Parts Warehouse, 100 Keystone Ave. Besides Parker's $1 bagels (sprouted wheat, tropical coconut and pineapple and more) her pals will offer other baked goods including baguettes and scones plus assorted cream cheese- or hummus-based bread spreads.